Beyond The Empty Marches is an ongoing Dungeons & Dragons campaign set in the fictional world of Enrea, which first appeared in the 2016 campaign Through The Empty Marches. 200 years before the start of the game, a magical experiment gone horribly wrong shook the foundation of the material plane, shattering the continent of Enrea into five different planes, separated from one another by the void known as the Empty Marches. Contact between the five shards was only possible through the magitech locomotives invented by Xunder Ironforge… until now.
The Ironforge Transportation Group has just unveiled their greatest creation, the Spelljammer, a magitech vessel that can quite literally travel beyond the Empty Marches. At least, it can if the dragon Votar doesn't destroy the world before the Spelljammer's maiden voyage.
Beyond The Empty Marches contains the following tropes:
- Cool Train: The Forerunners, the magitech trains that can cut through the Empty Marches.
- Fantastic Racism: Drow, Gnolls, Orcs, and Tieflings still feel the after-effects of this, as they were historically considered "Monster Races" who barred from civilized areas and in some cases hunted down. While both Bane Enterprises and the Republic of Mal'Tauren have since taken measures to protect these peoples, old tensions still linger.
- Magitek: An essential part of the setting.
- Our Mages Are Different: While traditional wizards still exist in the setting, many adventurers purchase (or scavenge) Magitech devices to emulate magic abilities.
- Sudden Sequel Death Syndrome: Liante, Lucien Maestus, Sy, and every Strathmore but Iulia.
- What Measure Is A Nonhuman: The Warforged are built by Sylv Corp using synthetic bodies and sophisticated Enchantment magic, but their key components- wood, stone, or crystal from the Feywild- gives them full sentience.
Characters:
The Task Force
Cadense
A Tiefling Paladin/Sorcerer raised by an Aasimar Cleric.- Boomerang Bigot: He sees other Tieflings as monsters.
- Villainous Lineage: He inherited his magical abilities from his mother, who in turn received her powers from Nefos.
Jasper Brimstone
A Halfling Alchemist who lives a life of crime.- Mad Bomber: His fighting style involves throwing flasks of volatile elixirs at his enemies.
Julius Starford
A Tiefling Warlock who leads a church of Baphomet.- Well-Intentioned Extremist: He made a pact with Baphomet to seek retribution for the Tiefling purges.
Kira Spiderkiller
A Human Fighter and member of the Galenian nobility.- I Call It "Vera": Her signature weapon is a warhammer named "Larry."
- Only Sane Man: She's notably the only character unaffected by the Demon Lords' influence in Shadowfell.
Ridley
A Fairy Artificer who scavenges Necrotech.- Cyborg Wizard: He amplifies his innate magical abilities with cybernetic enhancements.
- Our Fairies Are Different: Even in-universe, Ridley's use of magitech sets him apart from other Fey.
- Pint-Sized Powerhouse: He's only two-feet tall, but almost single-handedly defeats a Mind Flayer in hand-to-hand combat.
SABRE
A Warforged Wizard on a quest to understand emotion.- Cloudcuckoolander: Fittingly, his familiar is a cuckoo bird.
- Fragile Speedster: Compared to older Warforged models, he's faster and more agile, but has sacrificed durability.
The Dragons
Adowar
The Blue Dragon who protects the Eternal Valley.- Achilles in His Tent: After failing to stop the Shattering, Adowar faked his death and went into self-imposed exile.
- Always Chaotic Evil: Defied. While he initially serves Tiamat, he ultimately chooses the side of Good.
- Heel–Face Turn: He turned on Votar when the latter tried to wipe out all non-dragons.
Nefos
The Red Dragon who conquered Galenia.- Death by Irony: He's ultimately defeated the same way he defeated Votar: betrayed by his own protege and trapped inside an Orb of Dragonkind.
- Disc-One Final Boss: He’s defeated halfway through the first season. The first successful Mind Flayer is “born” the next day.
- Evil Overlord: He ruled over both Galenia and the Elemental Plane at various points.
- Manipulative Bastard: Despite his power, he enjoys coercing others into doing his dirty work, and regularly twists his own words when making promises to his followers.
- Took a Level in Badass: Tiamat transformed him from an already badass Dragon into an Archfiend.
Votar
The Black Dragon who haunts Shadowfell.- Greater-Scope Villain: He was directly responsible for Nefos's Deal with the Devil, and his grimoire is the setting's most recurring Artifact of Doom.
- Omnicidal Maniac
- Sealed Evil in a Can: Since Votar can resurrect himself if his body dies, trapping his spirit was the only way to defeat him permanently... at least, until he got out.
- Super Supremacist: He believes that Dragons are superior to all other life forms.
Bane Enterprises
Daveth Canseer
Iulia Strathmore
- Mad Scientist: Not quite as mad as her brother, but she uses her vast wealth and resources to resurrect dinosaurs.
- Reassigned to Antarctica: Subverted. While she's based in a desert wasteland, she does arguably the most important work for the company.
Lazarus Strathmore
- Big Good: Deconstructed. He's beloved in his homeland for defeating Nefos, rebuilding Galenia, and ushering in a new era of prosperity. He also murdered all his rivals and mind-controlled his bodyguard and adopted son so they would forget his misdeeds.
- Even Evil Has Standards: He attempted to destroy the Eye of Vecna when he took over the company.
Maurice Strathmore/Vigo Maestus
- Changeling Tale: He was kidnapped by Elves and returned to Galenia as a Changeling.
The Republic of Mal'Tauren
Andromeda Ang'Thraven/The Weaver
- Expy: Due her Elven heritage and hatred of necromancy, as well as her connection to Shadowfell, she's essentially a mortal version of the Raven Queen.
- The Man Behind the Man: She created the Mind Flayers.
- Legacy Character: She replaces Liante as the Weaver.
- Missing Mom: She mysteriously vanished when her son Jovian was a child.
- Well-Intentioned Extremist: She fought on the side of the rebels during the Elven Civil War And used the Book of Vile Darkness to kill Lazarus Strathmore, all in the name of freedom and peace.
Jovian Canseer
- Moses in the Bulrushes: His mother abandoned him to protect him from the Book of Vile Darkness.
Lav'nathinia Hastur
- Rank Scales with Asskicking: She's not called "the Warrior Queen of Mal'Tauren" for nothing.
- We Used to Be Friends: She teamed up with Lazarus Strathmore and Syha'nyth Ang'Thraven to defeat Nefos before drifting apart.
Syha'nyth Ang'Thraven
- Affectionate Nickname: His friends and family call him "Sy."
- Dying as Yourself: Averted. His necrotech enhancements are the result of his failed Heroic Sacrifice after breaking free from Liante's mind contol. Played straight when he dies fighting the Mind Flayers... then subverted when he's instantly resurrected as a mindless husk.
- Even Evil Has Loved Ones: Even while Brainwashed and Crazy, he genuinely cares for his sister and nephew.
- Heel–Face Revolving Door: He's joined a terrorist cell, saved Galenia from Nefos, assassinated Strathmore's political rivals, retired to raise a family, helped create the Mind Flayers, and helped defeat the Mind Flayers.
- Weakened by the Light: Downplayed. He has enough necrotech including the Hand of Vecna to get by during the day, but his Shadow Magic only works in shadows.
Outsiders
The Child of the Shattering
Granny Hollycombs
Harmony
Xochitl
Other Characters
Ansel Willowwalker
Liante the Weaver
Lilith Marr
NOR-75
Roscoe Copperpot
Savril Carcossa
TB_3000
